Flemings Mayfair Hotel

Purpose of the trip was business. My colleague and I visit London every year for 7 days of meetings. We always stay in Mayfair. Our requirements are: 2 bedroom apartment with living/lounge room (for meetings) and small kitchennette. Basically a home-office away from home - nothing too upmarket.

I stumbled upon this hotel after a disastrous almost -booking with Curzon St apartments. We stayed in the ground floor apartment next the hotel. It has it's own separate entry which is quite charming. The street view is attractive. There are 3-4 apartments all up that are accessed through this separate entryway. Ours was a 2 level, 2 bedroom-2 bathroom-kitchen-lounge room apartment. Entry floor was the kitchen and lounge room. Downstairs were the bedrooms and bathrooms.

Kitchennette was good. Modern clean looking appliances (microwave, fridge, toaster, stovetop) with Euro laundry. Not sure how often these were used. We ordered two filter coffee machines from the Flemings restaurant to use during the meetings. Lucky I decided to give it a test run before serving coffee to our clients - bits of white filmy goo were "filtered" out. No problems - I thought - this should clean itself out in 1or 2 filter cycles. I gave up after passing plain water (with no filter paper) through the machine continuously for a day and there was no let up in the goo being produced. I felt sick. No hotel breakfast for me.

The lounge room was a fantastic size. This is the highlight of the apartment. A meeting with 5-8 people was easily accomodated. It was decorated in the Olde Worlde style of period furniture - fake fireplace, three lounge sofas, a couple of armchairs, buffet. Unfortunately, it really is old. Showing signs of wear and tear. A positive was the dining table in the alcove between the kitchen and lounge room. Handy to set up laptops, store papers etc.

I unfortunately drew the short straw and got the master bedroom. Room size was very good. However it felt like a dungeon with dark furnishings/trimmings in period style. Artificial lighting was provided sparingly. The room did have a window and door (locked) to the outside. I wanted to open the window for some fresh air respite from the oppressive heating, but upon opening the window, I didn't feel safe and the street noise was at the same decibel as when the window was closed. Two wardrobes for storage. I think there was a safe. My recollection is a bit hazy due to tiredness as the laundry truck parked outside the apartment work me up every morning at 5-6am. This is not bad luck for the year I stayed, another colleague stayed here the year after and was woken up by the same laundry truck and it's drivers.

My bathroom entry was via the shared corridor. The bathroom size was ok - small, what I expected for London. NO RAIN SHOWER. In order to fit in the small bathroom, a small 3/4 size bathtub was provided. It offered a short corded handheld shower head. Having a bath and washing my hair involved contortions. I couldn't believe a GBP423 (excl 17%VAT)/night hotel would not have a standing shower. Even a shower over the bath would have sufficed.

My colleague got the 2 single bed room. His ensuite bathroom had a standing shower. But the pressure and temperature was not so great. The cheap shower could have done with some proper grouting and a good clean.

The apartment also had a private garden/terrace area. This was closed due to outside building renovations when we stayed. I think the renovations have completed - so you should be able to access. This looked nice.

Staff: met some requirements, won't go beyond duty. Housekeeping: met most requirements.

There was free wireless from the hotel. Unfortunately it did not extend an extra 2 metres into the apartment. It was inconvenient to have to decamp to the Library in the hotel or lean outside the lounge room window onto the street to check emails.

Location of the apartment is outstanding. 30secs to Green Park, 2 min to Buckingham Palace. Easy walking distance to night spots eg Dover St. 5-10min walk to most hotels in Mayfair and Hyde Park. The running tracks in Green Park are very good. Shopping is close by (Regent St and Oxford St) 10-15min walk. Tesco is around the corner. Sainsbury and Marks and Spencer is 10min walk. There is a dry cleaner and Kikiu

(japanese restaurant) a few doors down, Cafe Nero at the corner or Curzon and Half Moon St, recommend getting a free coffee card.

If you are travelling with kids and only staying for a short time 1-2 days, this apartment would be perfect with lots of space. Otherwise find somewhere else before the cracks start to show.

Flat screen tv in lounge room, can't remember what was in the bedrooms - but I think they were small CRT tube tvs.

Needless to say, I stayed at Green Park Hilton and the Ascott Mayfair after this experience at less than half the rate and triple the comfort.

An OK hotel. The staff were friendly and the room OK. Attention to detail a bit off, the plug in our bath was broken and one coffee cup was really chipped - but nothing serious wrong. Great location.